Volo's Guide to Monsters
Volo's Guide to Monsters, typically shortened to VGM, is an expansion book released by Wizards of the Coast to expand upon some of the monsters introduced in the Monster Manual. It also contains several races that players may choose from. Disclaimer: Wizards of the Coast does not vouch for, guarantee, or provide any promise regarding the validity of the information provided by this volume by Volothamp Geddarm. Do not trust Volo. Do not go on quests offered by Volo. Do not listen to Volo. Avoid being seeing with him for risk of guilt by association. If Volo appears in your campaign, your DM is undoubtedly trying to kill your character in a manner that can be blamed on your own actions. The DM is probably trying to do that anyway, but with Volo's appearance, you know for sure. We're not convinced that Elminster's commentary is all that trustworthy either, but he turned us into flumphs the last time we mentioned him in one of these disclaimers. Blurb Research has never been so dangerous... Explore the breadth of D&D's monsters in this immersive 224-page volume filled with beautiful illustrations and in-depth lore. Volo's Guide to Monsters provides something exciting for players and Dungeon Masters everywhere! The esteemed loremaster Volothamp Geddarm is back and he's written a fantastical dissertation, covering some of the most iconic monsters in the Forgotten Realms. Unfortunately, the Sage of Shadowdale himself, Elminster, doesn't believe Volo gets some of the important details quite right. Don't miss out as Volo and Elminster square off (academically speaking of course) to illuminate the uninitiated on creatures both common and obscure. Uncover the machinations of the mysterious Kraken Society, what is the origin of the bizarre froghemoth, or how to avoid participating in the ghastly reproductive cycle of the grotesque vargouille. Dungeon Masters and players will get some much-needed guidance as you plan your next venture, traipsing about some dusty old ruin in search of treasure, lore, and let's not forget ... dangerous creatures whose horns, claws, fangs, heads, or even hides might comfortably adorn the walls of your trophy room. If you survive. *'Chapter 1: Monster Lore' takes several iconic D&D monsters and provides additional information about their origins, their dispositions and behaviors, and their lairs—above and beyond what is written in the Monster Manual. Dive deep into the story behind D&D's most popular and iconic monsters, including beholders, mind flayers, and the yuan-ti, as well as classics like orcs, gnolls, and kobolds. *'Chapter 2: Character Races' presents character races that are some of the more distinctive race options in the D&D multiverse, including the goblin, the orc, and the firbolg. *'Chapter 3: Bestiary' provides game statistics and lore for nearly one hundred monsters suitable for any D&D campaign. Gain access to rules and story for dozens of monsters new to fifth edition Dungeons & Dragons, such as the froghemoth, the neogi, and the vargouille. Table of Contents Contents * Preface * Chapter 1: Monster Lore ** Beholders: Bad Dreams Come True ** Giants: World Shakers ** Gnolls: The Insatiable Hunger ** Goblinoids: The Conquering Host ** Hags: Dark Sisterhood ** Kobolds: Little Dragons ** Mind Flayers: Scourge of Worlds ** Orcs: The Godsworn ** Yuan-ti: Snake People * Chapter 2: Character Races ** Aasimar ** Firbolg ** Goliath ** Kenku ** Lizardfolk ** Tabaxi ** Triton ** Monstrous Adventurers ** Height and Weight * Chapter 3: Bestiary * Appendix A: Assorted Beasts * Appendix B: Nonplayer Characters * Appendix C: Monster Lists * Maps of Monster Lairs ** Beholder Lair ** Goblinoid War Camp ** Hag Lairs ** Kobold Lair ** Mind Flayer Colony ** Orc Stronghold ** Yuan-ti Temple Index of Monster Stat Blocks * Abjurer * Alhoon * Annis hag * Apprentice wizard * Archdruid * Archer * Aurochs * Babau * Banderhobb * Bard * Barghest * Bheur hag * Blackguard * Bodak * Boggle * Brontosaurus * Catoblepas * Cave fisher * Champion * Chitin * Choldrith * Cloud giant smiling one * Conjurer * Cow * Cranium rat * Darkling * Darkling elder * Death kiss * Deep scion * Deinonychus * Devourer * Dimetrodon * Diviner * Dolphin * Draegloth * Elder brain * Enchanter * Evoker * Fire giant dreadnought * Firenewt * Firenewt warlock of Imix * Flail snail * Flind * Froghemoth * Frost giant everlasting one * Gauth * Gazer * Giant strider * Girallon * Gnoll flesh gnawer * Gnoll hunter * Gnoll witherling * Grung * Grung elite warrior * Grung wildling * Guard drake * Hadrosaurus * Hobgoblin devastator * Hobgoblin Iron Shadow * Illusionist * Ki-rin * Kobold dragonshield * Kobold inventor * Kobold scale sorcerer * Korred * Kraken priest * Leucrotta * Martial arts adept * Master thief * Maw demon * Meenlock * Mind flayer lich * Mindwitness * Morkoth * Mouth of Grolantor * Necromancer * Neogi * Neogi hatchling * Neogi master * Neothelid * Nilbog * Orc Blade of Ilneval * Orc Claw of Luthic * Orc Hand of Yurtrus * Orc Nurtured One of Yurtrus * Orc Red Fang of Shargaas * Ox (cow) * Quetzalcoatlus * Quickling * Redcap * Rothe (cow) * Sea spawn * Shadow mastiff * Shoosuva * Slithering tracker * Spawn of Kyuss * Stegosaurus * Stench kow (cow) * Stone giant dreamwalker * Storm giant quintessent * Swarm of cranium rats * Swarm of rot grubs * Swashbuckler * Tanarukk * Thorny * Tlincalli * Transmuter * Trapper * Ulitharid * Vargouille * Vegepygmy * Vegepygmy chief * Velociraptor * War priest * Warlock of the archfey * Warlock of the fiend * Warlock of the Great Old One * Warlord * Wood woad * Xvart * Xvart warlock of Raxivort * Yeth hound * Yuan-ti anathema * Yuan-ti broodguard * Yuan-ti mind whisperer * Yuan-ti nightmare speaker * Yuan-ti pit master Errata Chapter 2 * Control Air and Water: In the next-to-last sentence of the paragraph, "you can't do so again" now reads, "you can't cast that spell with it again." Chapter 3 * Kobold Scale Sorcerer: In the Sorcery Points trait, the second sentence is changed to: "It regains all its spent sorcery points when it finishes a long rest. It can spend its sorcery points on the following options:" * Neogi Master: In the Hit Points entry, the text in the parentheses is now "11d8 + 22." * Yuan-ti Mind Whisperer: The creature's Wisdom score is now 14. Appendix B * Champion: In the "Actions" section, "Light Crossbow" is now "Shortbow." In that attack's description, "6 (1d8 + 2)" is now "5 (1d6 + 2)." * Conjurer: In the Spellcasting trait, the cantrips now have no asterisks. * Evoker: In the Sculpt Spells trait, "forces other creatures it can see" is now "forces other creatures it can see to make a saving throw." Appendix C * Grassland Creatures: In the Flind entry, the Challenge (XP) information is now "9 (5,000 XP)." * Hill Creatures: In the Flind entry, the Challenge (XP) information is now "9 (5,000 XP)." Category:Books